Surgical drape with closed fenestration

ABSTRACT

A surgical drape includes a main drape body of suitable material, with a fenestration disposed therein. A sheet of imperforate transparent film is provided with at least one surface coated with a tacky adhesive. The film is dimensioned larger than the fenestration and is positioned with the tacky surface adhering to the drape body surrounding the fenestration, which is completely closed by the sheet. The tacky surface is exposed through the fenestration, and a release liner is peelably secured thereto. Upon removal of the release liner and draping of the patient, the exposed tacky film is immediately pressed directly onto the area to be incised, and the said area remains fully protected from contamination.

United States Patent [191 Larsh et al.

11] 3,826,253 1451 July 30, 1974 SURGICAL DRAPE WITH CLOSED FENESTRATION[75] Inventors: Ray E. Larsh; Donald 1. Urbansky,

both of Milwaukee, Wis.

[73] Assignee: Kleen Test Products, Inc.,

Milwaukee, Wis.

[22] Filed: Feb. 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 328,905

[52] US. Cl 128/132 D [51] Int. Cl. A6lf 13/00 [58] Field of Search128/132 D, 132 R, 156,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,260,260 7/1966 Questcl128/132 D 3,667,458 6/1972 Krebs 128/132 D 3,741,206 6/1973 Binard etal. 128/132 D OTHER PUBLICATIONS Gerspacher, et al., Modern PlasticsVinyl Surgical Drapes; May 1951.

Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner-Henry J. ReclaAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Andrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall [5 7] ABSTRACTA surgical drape includes a main drape body of suitable material, with afenestration disposed therein. A sheet of imperforate transparent filmis provided with at least one surface coated with a tacky adhesive. Thefilm is dimensioned larger than the fenestration and is positioned withthe tacky surface adhering to the drape body surrounding thefenestration, which is completely closed by the sheet. The tacky surfaceis exposed through the fenestration, and a release liner is peelablysecured thereto. Upon removal of the release liner and draping of thepatient, the exposed tacky film is immediately pressed directly onto thearea to be incised, and the said area remains fully protected fromcontamination.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SURGICAL DRAPE WITH CLOSED FENESTRATIONBACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to asurgical drape with closed fenestration, and more particularly to adrape for use in various types of surgical procedures which provides asimplified structure with increased protection against infiltration ofbacteria into the area of the incision both before and during surgery.

Cleanliness of the area immediately adjacent the surgical incision is ofutmost importance. In accordance with accepted hospital procedure, theincision area is coated with a suitable antiseptic prior to applicationof a protective drape and performance of surgery to reduce thepossibility of infection. However, no antiseptic is 100 percenteffective and there remainssome danger of infection of the area fromexposure to air or contact by contaminated materials. For this reason,surgical drapes have been designed to be as sterile as possible toenhance the over-all sterility of the surgical area.

Many prior surgical drapes have been constructed in a manner so that thearea to be incised is unnecessarily exposed to the air through the drapeand prior to the commencement of surgery. In the event the surgeon isdelayed from proceeding for any reason, the danger of infection willincrease. This problem may be particularly acute in abnormalenvironments, such as makeshift battlefield hospitals. An example ofsuch a drape is shown in the US. patent to Krebs, No. 3,667,458, whereina surgical drape having an open fenestration is placed over the patient,thus exposing the surgical area to the possibility of unduecontamination.

In addition, some prior surgical drapes require special and timeconsuming procedures before the drape can be applied to the patient.Thus, in the US. Patent to Pereny et al., No. 3,060,932, an adhesivemustbe sprayed onto the patients skin before a transparent sheet-likedrape is applied thereto. Although the adhesive may be sterile, theincreased movement of air adjacent the surgical area which is inherentin a spraying technique will also increase the danger of contamination.This, in effect, nullifies any advantage obtained by covering thesurgical area with the sheet and requiring the surgeon to cut throughit.

The present invention is directed to an improved surgical drape whicheliminates the disadvantages of the aforementioned drapes, whileproviding a simplified structure which is easy to manipulate in theoperating room.

In accordance with the invention, the surgical drape includes a maindrape body of suitable material, with a surgical fenestration disposedtherein. A sheet of imperforate transparent film is provided with atleast one surface coated with a tacky adhesive. The film is dimensionedlarger than the fenestration and is positioned with the tacky surfaceadhering to the drape body surrounding the fenestration, which iscompletely closed by the sheet. The tacky surface is exposed through thefenestration, and a release liner is peelably secured thereto. Uponremoval of the release liner and draping of the patient, the exposedtacky film is immediately pressed directly onto the area to be incised,and

the said area remains fully protected from contamination.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawing illustrates the bestmode presently contemplated by the inventors for carrying out theinvention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a surgical drape constructed in accordancewith the invention, and with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the drape, and with parts broken away;and A FIG. 3is an enlarged section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawing, thesurgical drape I of the invention comprises a sheet-like main'drape body2 of a shape and dimension determined by the type of operation to beperformed. Body 2 may be made from any suitable well-known material,such as woven or pressed cellulose fibers, plastic or the like.

The drape is adapted to protectively cover at least a portion of thepatient, and has means therein for permitting access by the surgeon tothe area to be incised. For this purpose, afinite surgical aperture orfenestration 3 is disposed in body 2 so that it is surrounded thereby.That is, the fenestration is disposed completely inwardly of the bodyedges, and in any desired position. As shown inthe drawing, fenestration3 is disposed centrally of the body.

After the skin of the patient is suitably treated with an antiseptic, itis desired to firmly secure the drape to the patient in a way whichnevertheless permits lifting of the drape edges by a nurse, ifnecessary. Furthermore, the manner of securement should require aminimum of manipulative procedures, and the area to be incised should befully protected both before and during the operation.

For this purpose, means are provided to secure the drape to the patientsbody exclusively throughout the full area of fenestration 3, said meansalso comprising a complete closure for the fenestration. As shown, athin film-like imperforate preferably transparent plastic sheet 4' isprovided which is normally smooth on its upper side 5 and which has alower side 6 having a tacky surface throughout its extent. This tackyquality of side 6 may be created by coating the entire side with asuitable pressure sensitive sterile adhesive of a type well known in theart.

As shown, sheet 4 is'larger than fenestration 3 and the edge portionthereof is applied to the upper side of drape body 2 and extendsoutwardly beyond the finite edge of the fenestration so that thepressure sensitive adhesive firmly adheres in a continuous peripheralbond to the body portion which surrounds the periphery of thefenestration. In addition, sheet 4 extends completely acrossfenestration 3 to provide an imperforate closure therefor. As best shownin FIG. 2, tacky side 6 is exposed downwardly through the fenestrationon the lower or patient side of the drape.

As a protective measure, and to assist in handling and bulk shipping ofthe drape, a removable release line 7 is applied to the exposed lowertacky side 6, and preferably extends outwardly beyond the periphery ofthe fenestration.

The entire product is treated at the time of manufacture so that allsurfaces are sterile, as by heating in a steam or hot air chamber. Thiscleanliness is maintained during subsequent shipment and storage bysuitable packaging.

At the point of use, the patients skin is antiseptically treated,release liner 7 is quickly peeled from the drape, and sheet side 6 ispressed down so that its tacky surface firmly adheres to the skin at theplanned incision line as well as in the surrounding area limited by thefenestration periphery. No additional treatment of the skin, such asspraying with adhesive, is necessary. In addition, the planned incisionline and limited surrounding area will remain completely sealed andprotected by the fenestration closure against contamination by bacteriain the air or the like. The seal will remain during the entire periodprior to the operation, and until the surgeon penetrates through sheet 4when making the incision. During the surgery, the remaining portions ofsheet 4 surrounding the incision line can'be left in adheringrelationship to the patients skin, or can be peeled back to thefenestration periphery if desired.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as beingwithin the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out anddistinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as theinvention.

We claim:

1. A surgical drape comprising, in combination:

a. a sheet-like drape body for protectively covering a patient,

b. said body having a finite surgical fenestration therein for accessthrough said body by a surgeon to the area of the patients skin to beincised,

c. the periphery of said fenestration being disposed inwardly from theedges of said drape body,

d. transparent penetrable closure means for said fenestration forprotecting the said area to be incised from contamination prior tosurgery,

e. and sterile means forming part of said closure means for securingsaid drape to the skin of the patient completely and exclusively withinthe area defined by the fenestration periphery.

2. A surgical drape comprising, in combination:

a. a sheet-like drape body for protectively covering a patient,

b. said body having a finite surgical fenestration therein for accessthrough said body by a surgeon to the area of the patients skin to beincised,

c. the periphery of said fenestration being disposed inwardly from theedges of said drape body,

d. transparent penetrable closure means for said fenestration forprotecting the said area to be incised from contamination prior tosurgery, said closure means comprising a film-like imperforate sheet oflarger dimension than said fenestration and completely closing thelatter,

e. means securing the edge portion of said sheet in a continuousperipheral bond to the areaof said drape body surrounding saidfenestration,

f. and sterile adhesive means on said sheet for securing said drape tothe skin of the patient completely and exclusively within the areadefined by the fenestration periphery.

3. A surgical drape comprising, in combination:

a. a sheet-like drape body for protectively covering a patient,

b. said body having a finite surgical fenestration therein for accessthrough said body by a surgeon to the area of the patients skin to beincised,

c. the periphery of said fenestration being disposed inwardly from theedges of said drape body,

d. penetrable closure means for said fenestration for protecting thesaid area to be incised from contamination prior to surgery, saidclosure means comprising a film-like imperforate transparent sheet oflarger dimension than said fenestration and completely closing thelatter,

e. at least one side of said sheet having a pressuresensitized sterileadhesive thereon,

f. the edge portion of the pressure-sensitized side of said sheetextending outwardly beyond the finite edge of the fenestration and beingsecured in a continuous peripheral bond to the area of the upper side ofsaid drape body surrounding said fenestration,

g. and the central portion of the said pressuresensitized side of saidsheet being exposed downwardly through said fenestration and formingmeans for securing said drape to the skin of the patient completely andexclusively within the area defined by the fenestration periphery.

* s :r s s

1. A surgical drape comprising, in combination: a. a sheet-like drapebody for protectively covering a patient, b. said body having a finitesurgical fenestration therein for access through said body by a surgeonto the area of the patient''s skin to be incised, c. the periphery ofsaid fenestration being disposed inwardly from the edges of said drapebody, d. transparent penetrable closure means for said fenestration forprotecting the said area to be incised from contamination prior tosurgery, e. and sterile means forming part of said closure means forsecuring said drape to the skin of the patient completely andexclusively within the area defined by the fenestration periphery.
 2. Asurgical drape comprising, in combination: a. a sheet-like drape bodyfor protectively covering a patient, b. said body having a finitesurgical fenestration therein for access through said body by a surgeonto the area of the patient''s skin to be incised, c. the periphery ofsaid fenestration being disposed inwardly from the edges of said drapebody, d. transparent penetrable closure means for said fenestration forprotecting the said area to be incised from contamination prior tosurgery, said closure means comprising a film-like imperforate sheet oflarger dimension than said fenestration and completely closing thelatter, e. means securing the edge portion of said sheet in a continuousperipheral bond to the area of said drape body surrounding saidfenestration, f. and sterile adhesive means on said sheet for securingsaid drape to the skin of the patient completely and exclusively withinthe area defined by the fenestration periphery.
 3. A surgical drapecomprising, in combination: a. a sheet-like drape body for protectivelycovering a patient, b. said body having a finite surgical fenestrationtherein for access through said body by a surgeon to the area of thepatient''s skin to be incised, c. the periphery of said fenestrationbeing disposed inwardly from the edges of said drape body, d. penetrableclosure means for said fenestration for protecting the said area to beincised from contamination prior to surgery, said closure meanscomprising a film-like imperforate transparent sheet of larger dimensionthan said fenestration and completely closing the latter, e. at leastone side of said sheet having a pressure-sensitized sterile adhesivethereon, f. the edge portion of the pressure-sensitized side of saidsheet extending outwardly beyond the finite edge of the fenestration andbeing secured in a continuous peripheral bond to the area of the upperside of said drape body surrounding said fenestration, g. and thecentral portion of the said pressure-sensitized side of said sheet beingexposed downwardly through said fenestration and forming means forsecuring said drape to the skin of the patient completely andexclusively within the area defined by the fenestration periphery.